Case Study: Islington Council
ECDL - "The Road to Wider Benefits"
Originally intended as a cost effective IT training solution offering large numbers of staff a recognised
qualification, the European Computer Driving Licence programme at Islington Council is showing wider
organisational benefits in addition to improving IT skills.
Islington Council was the first local authority to adopt ECDL as a benchmark competency with a plan to train
over two thousand staff over a three-year period. The Centre was launched in February 2000 and now has
over 1150 candidates enrolled on the programme
The main driving force for introducing ECDL were to provide:
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Best value in training
To ensure staff were skilled to deliver the Government's mandate that 00% services be delivered
electronically by 2005
To prepare staff with the skills to access emerging e-learning opportunities
Tim Rush, ICT Training Consultant who developed the strategy and project manages the programme, says,
"Introducing ECDL into the organisation has been a real learning experience. If I was to do it again, there are
many things that I would do differently." Rush goes on to share some of his experiences, and the findings from
a recent evaluation of the first 18 Months of operation.
"In the jumble of e learning and emerging hi-technologies, there is still a place for the humble CD-ROM. The
main benefit being that it practically offers staff maximum flexibility in where and when they learn and at a
pace that suits them."
Although many PC users are networked, a significant number are not. And even if it was possible to opt for a
web enabled solution, it is considered very unlikely that staff would be willing to pay to study at home on the
Internet, at least until un-metered access becomes generally available.
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50% of staff reported studying at home
45% at their desktop at work
76% of candidates rated the CD-ROM method of delivery as good or very good
Only 7% did not like it.
"The CD-ROM, approach also has the advantage of "tangibility". People can touch it and when bundled in a
learning pack with other resources, it can create a real sense of ownership. I think that is important in
encouraging people to learn."
The main motivation for staff undertaking ECDL appears to be to improve IT skills (64%). Gaining a
recognised qualification is secondary (21.5%) and to improve employability (8.0%). Only 5.6% reported that
they were doing ECDL because it was a corporate competency.
"We ask that staff try to complete the qualification within a six-month period. The beginner, with basic
keyboard skills, spending 2 hours per week over a six-month period should be able to complete the
qualification within that time." Of candidates that had qualified 71% reported completing within a 4-month
period from starting to use the learning materials and most learners were spending between one and two
hours per week studying ECDL
"Automated testing was a key factor in the implementation of the project. We simply would not be able to run
the ECDL programme and offer the qualification with all its benefits to such a large number of staff without it.
The costs of manually marking papers in terms of time and the skills required would have been prohibitive."
75% of candidates found automated testing easy or very easy and 22% as average.
Once established, the running of a test centre is mainly administrative. Promoting the qualification is where
the art and hard work comes in. "We have been lucky here in Islington, Members of the Council and senior
management have been fully supportive. Gaining support at that level is essential to any successful
implementation." Marketing started at the very beginning with the presentation of the strategy to the Executive
Management Board and senior management teams. Once agreed, there was an internal publicity campaign
using as many mediums as possible to let staff know about the qualification, this included, posters, articles in
corporate and departmental news letters, e-mail shots, briefing sessions, etc. "From the start I was very keen
to demonstrate to staff that the qualification was achievable by all. In the initial pilot we asked 30 staff to 'fast
track' the qualification, and complete in six to eight weeks. Encouraging them to become advocates for the
qualification, they shared their experiences with others, and we included their personal stories in feature
articles in a range of new letters, including one dedicated to ECDL. Their words were worth a thousand of
mine," reports Rush, "and the word started to spread."
The 'feel good factor', that a project like ECDL generates, should not be underestimated. Staff, really do feel
that they are getting something from the organisation. As one candidate said:
"This is the first opportunity I have had since working for the Council to get a qualification and it has made me
feel more positive towards the council".
The ECDL programme is as much about recognising skills and competence as well as providing a learning
opportunity and can generate a lot of "good will" from staff.
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71% of candidates thought that ECDL was relevant or very relevant to their jobs. 22% thought it had
some relevance
79% of those actively learning said that doing ECDL was easier or about the same as they had
imagined.
Overwhelmingly, 99% of candidates said that they would recommend doing ECDL to friends or
colleagues.
One early concern was that after an initial take-up from the keener members of staff applications for the
programme might dry-up. This has not been the case. It appears that a "critical mass effect" has taken place,
and just over 18 months into the programme there continues to be a steady stream of 10-15 new applications
each week. When asked where new candidates first heard of ECDL, 46% responded from a colleague, or
their line manager and many of these newer candidates report having seen colleagues in the work place
learning and thought that it would be a good idea for them to do ECDL as well.
The visibility of learning in the work place has created a positive peer pressure, encouraging more staff to take
up ECDL. Rush, advises: "Review your promotional strategy regularly."
Every candidate enrolling on the programme in Islington attends a two and half-hour briefing session. The
purpose of these sessions is motivational, to outline the importance of IT skills to the individuals and to the
organisation. The briefing includes an overview of the ECDL qualification, a demonstration of the learning
materials and the opportunity for candidates to ask any questions they may have.
"Briefing sessions are important in setting the 'tone and atmosphere' of the learning. The sessions also
introduce the idea of a new learning culture emerging within the organisation and explores some of the
practical issues. In the past staff have been 'spoon fed' instructor-led courses and the ECDL programme has
introduced many to the concept of e-learning and the need to be responsible for managing their own learning."
69% of candidates found the initial briefing session useful or very useful. 23% found them of some use.
"We see our ECDL candidates as our customers. The Test Centre stringently follows the operations manual
specified by the British Computer Society and also has its own quality assurance procedures. Customer care,
is uppermost in our minds and we have worked hard to create a professional, open, accessible, friendly and
fun atmosphere.” Rush strongly feels that good customer care inspires confidence; helps enhance motivation
and supports staff learning. 91% of candidates rated the overall administration of the test centre as good or
very good.
ECDL candidates have telephone support and access to a tutor in the open learning centre. Staff are also
encouraged to seek support from their peers, and because such large numbers are undertaking ECDL it has
been possible to introduce the idea of "Active Learning Communities", a model for developing and improving
communications and skills sharing as a precursor to better knowledge management within the organisation.
ECDL has laid a firm foundation for the development of e-learning in the organisation and 87% of respondents
to the in the evaluation said that they would like to see other areas of training delivered either by CD-ROM or
on the intranet or internet. When candidates were asked how they had personally benefited from doing ECDL
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93% felt that their competency had improved in the use of PC applications
90% reported improved confidence in the use of PC applications
74% improved confidence in work in general.
80% said that they had a greater willingness to learn new skills
"Being located within a Human Resources Department has had several advantages, in helping to strategically
tie-in ECDL to other HR initiatives, such as, Investors in People, Performance Appraisal and Corporate
Values." Previously, an IT Training Manager himself, Rush would advise that ECDL project managers working
from within the IT service should be familiar the wider HR initiatives that are taking place within the
organisation to get the maximum benefits from ECDL.
"Early in the ECDL programme the whole of the consultancy team enrolled, and It was intriguing to watch from
within my own team some of the wider benefits that going through a programme of learning together could
provide, in terms of support, communication, skills sharing and even some healthy competition".
Staff teams in Islington are encouraged to undertake ECDL programme together and although this is not yet
extensive through the organisation, the evaluation came up with some interesting responses. When
candidates were asked if working through ECDL with other team members had helped develop improvements
in the following areas of team working.
Communication
Support for each other as a team
Skills sharing
More efficient use of IT as a team
Less reliance on Help Desk
Problem solving
Improved service delivery
Yes
50.0%
68.6%
72.1%
65.5%
47.5%
58.0%
53.2%
No
26.7%
18.6%
18.6%
17.9%
32.5%
23.5%
22.7%
Don't Know
23.3%
23.3%
9.3%
16.6%
20.0%
18.5%
24.1%
Islington had a progressive rollout from a pilot of 300 to now well over 1000 in an eighteen-month period. The
qualification rate, so far, has been steadily constant at around 10%, which has sometimes been disappointing.
A recent increase in the number of assessments being taken suggests that the qualification rate will increase
in the near future. "Expect to find the qualification rate rising exponentially towards the end of the project.
There are no quick results", says Rush, "and expectations of stakeholders have to be carefully managed".
If you are intending to train large numbers of staff, Rush recommends that you have a larger pilot group. The
difficulties and opportunities are different between small and large-scale implementations. With larger
programmes there is more opportunity to influence a change in the organisational culture. Implementing a
large-scale ECDL programme has the potential to offer wider benefits to individuals and organisations:
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Improved skills transfer
Benefit team dynamics
Introduces a new learning culture
Provides a foundation for e-learning
Improved access to information and knowledge management
Assists in cultural change
Helps develop a learning organisation
Creates a positive attitude towards the organisation
As one ECDL candidate enthusiastically commented:
"I think that ECDL is one of the best training initiatives this council has ever taken. I think it shows LBI
as an employer in a very favourable way, as forward thinking and as an employer who encourages its
staff to improve themselves by acquiring new, but very relevant skills."
© Copyright: www.timrushlearning.co.uk 2002.